Indonesians in Jakarta protest against US president's al-Quds announcement

Rasa - Indonesians have protested outside the US embassy in Jakarta against US President Donald Trump for his recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the "capital" of Israel.

News ID: 435253

Date: 10 December 2017 - 20:02

RNA - Police said the demonstration drew a crowd of at least 5,000 people on Sunday.

The angry protesters carried Indonesian and Palestinian flags and held banners reading, ''Free Jerusalem and Palestinians," "US Embassy, Get Out from al-Quds" and "We are with the Palestinians."

The demonstrators, many in white robes and skullcaps, also chanted slogans such as, "We are with the Palestinians," "Palestine is in our hearts" and "Pray for Palestine."

The Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which organized the rally in Jakarta and several other cities around the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, said Trump's decision was a declaration of "hostility to Muslims throughout the world."

Sohibul Iman, the president of the PKS, told protesters that Indonesia should be more proactive in “urging the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) member states and UN Security Council and the international community to respond immediately with more decisive and concrete political and diplomatic actions in saving the Palestinians from the Israeli occupation and its collaborator, the United States of America.”

“Indonesia as the world’s largest Muslim country has the largest responsibility toward the independence of Palestine and the management of Jerusalem al-Quds,” he added.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has condemned Trump's decision and ordered the US ambassador in Jakarta to be summoned over the move.

Trump sparked international outrage on Wednesday, when he declared that Washington was recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and that he had instructed his administration to begin the process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the ancient city.

Trump's move upended decades of American diplomacy, causing an overwhelming global diplomatic backlash and sparking protests by Palestinians and their clashes with Israeli forces.

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